Visit Us - Shop Hours & Directions

Our Hours

Our retail shop is open 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Saturday, until October 31st. We are closed Sundays except for three day holiday weekends. Website orders are processed 24/7 year round. Call (828) 765-6001 with questions.

If you're in town November through April, simply email or call ahead and we'll agree on a day and approximate time for your visit. We are very happy to have customers 'shop by appointment' during the Winter months, so please feel free to get in touch.

Directions to The Soap Shed

We are located at 179 Meadow View Road, Spruce Pine, North Carolina, 28777, just 6/10th mile from Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 331 at Gillespie Gap

Meadow View Road, which is a gravel road off NC Highway 226 South. We are in the midst of the gem-mining district of "Grassy Creek", and just a half mile a regional Super Walmart.

We have a large roadside sign at Meadow View Road. Come 2/10th mile up our gravel road. Pass two homes on the left (one on the right), and then Turn Left. Follow the Soap Shed signs down our driveway.

Spruce Pine is about an hour east of Asheville, and hour Southwest of Boone, and a stone's throw away from where the states of North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee come together.

From Interstate 40

From Interstate 40 take Exit 86 in Marion, NC and follow signs for the Highway 226/221 Bypass to towns north of Marion, like Linville, Boone, Little Switzerland and Spruce Pine. If you end up going through the town of Marion, don't worry, you're going in the right direction, it'll just take you a little longer. The By Pass and the downtown routes will merge just north of town. You'll pass the beautiful McDowell County Visitors Center right there on the bypass - be sure to stop, it's got displays and visitor information from LOTS of hotels, motels, attractions, restaurants throughout the High Country and Western NC. - and of course, a brochure and map to help you find us!

Highways 226 and 221 will split about 6 miles north, with 221 headed due north to Boone and Linville, and 226 turning to the left (at a traffic light) to Little Switzerland and Spruce Pine. TURN LEFT. Follow signs for 226, and just about a mile up the road, you will see a sign to the right for Highway 226. TURN RIGHT. DO NOT GO STRAIGHT ON HIGHWAY 226A OVER THE BRIDGE TO THE FISH HATCHERY! That is the LONG, winding way around. Do not take this route if you are uncomfortable with narrow, windy roads on the edge of cliffs.

So turn right on 226 - NOT 226A - and go UP THE MOUNTAIN. At times it will be a four lane road to allow slower vehicles to pass, and then revert to just being a curvy 2-lane road. Go to the top of the mountain and TURN RIGHT. Immediately as you turn, you will be going UNDER an overpass for the Blue Ridge Parkway, and as soon as you pass under the bridge, you will see on the left the North Carolina Museum of Minerals and Parkway Visitor Center at Milepost 331. This is another great stopping point if you're looking for some local and regional tourist information, because both the Parkway and local Chamber of Commerce have offices there. LOADS of information about arts and crafts in the area.

At this point, you are within a mile of the Soap Shed.

So, from the Mineral Museum and Mitchell County Chamber of Commerce at Parkway Milepost 331 and Highway 226, stay on 226 for 6/10th of a mile heading north toward the town of Spruce Pine. You'll pass the Shepard's Table Restaurant on your right, and Jerry Call's Rio Doce Gem Mine on your left. SLOW DOWN, because we're coming up the left. You'll see a sign for The Soap Shed on the left, at the corner of 'Meadow View Road'- so TURN LEFT, come up the gravel drive 2/10th of a mile, passing two houses on the left, and one on the right.

Half way up the road on the left you will see a sign that says exactly the same thing again: pass two homes on the left, one on the right and then turn a hard left.

When you reach the 2/10th point at the top of the hill, the gravel drive will fork in three directions - right, straight, or a hard left - TAKE THE LEFT TURN - you should see a SOAPSHED sign as you are turning. Follow the driveway through the trees - and you'll be at the Soap Shed. No matter how woodsy and remote it looks, remember you're just 2/10 mile off a major road, so you are not lost! :-) If you get to Walmart, you've missed our driveway by about 1/2 mile and gone too far, so c'mon back.

From Boone and the High Country

From Boone, take Highway 105 down through Foscoe to Banner Elk and keep headed to Linville, Marion and Spruce Pine on Highway 221. A short cut that is affectionately known as 'Three Mile' appears on your right - it's official name is Highway 194. If you miss this turn, don't despair. Just stay on 221 and you'll come to Linville Caverns and the Parkway soon, so just get on the Parkway headed South toward Asheville, and get off at Milepost 331 (320.9) at the NC Museum of Minerals and follow directions from that landmark.

Follow Three Mile road until it dead ends into Highway 19. TURN LEFT onto Highway 19, headed South toward Spruce Pine, Marion and Little Switzerland. Go about 4.0 miles, and TURN LEFT again, headed south on Highway 226. The town of Spruce Pine will be accessible by turning right, Marion and Little Switzerland by turning left - at this intersection you want to travel AWAY FROM Spruce Pine. Turn left and go 4.5 miles south on Highway 226. About 1/3 mile past the Walmart (which you'll pass on your left), look for Soap Shed signs to TURN RIGHT on Meadow View Road. If you get to The Rio Doce Gem Mine on your right or the NC Museum of Minerals at the Blue Ridge Parkway, you've gone past our Meadow View Road, so turn around and c'mon back.

Meadow View Road is a gravel drive. Come up 2/10th of a mile. You will pass two houses on the left (and one on your right), and then turn left at the top of the hill when the gravel drive forks in three directions - right, straight, or a hard left. TURN LEFT. You will see a SOAP SHED sign as you are turning. You'll see a very large sign about half way down the driveway at our property line. Follow our driveway through the trees - and you'll be at The Soap Shed. No matter how mountainy and remote it looks, remember you're just 2/10 mile off a major road, so you are not lost! :-)

Back Roads From Asheville

From Asheville, take Highway 25 through Weaverville, Mars Hill, and exit right to Highway 19E headed toward Burnsville. Continue to Spruce Pine, and TURN RIGHT on Highway 226, headed South toward Marion and Little Switzerland. Go 4.5 miles, and 1/3 mile past the Walmart (which you'll pass on your left), look for the Soap Shed sign to TURN RIGHT on Meadow View Road. If you get to The Rio Doce Gem Mine, you've gone past Meadow View Road, so turn around and c'mon back.

Come up Meadow View Road - which is a gravel drive - 2/10th of a mile. Pass two houses on the left, and then turn left. at the top of the hill when the gravel drive forks in three directions - right, straight, or a hard left. TURN LEFT. You will see a SOAPSHED sign as you are turning. Follow our driveway through the trees - and you'll be at The Soap Shed. No matter how mountainy and remote it looks, remember you're just 2/10 mile off a major road, so you are not lost! :-)